


Entangled

by whutnot



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Cop!Kuvira, F/F, F/M, Mafia AU, mob boss Su
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-04-15 00:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4586805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whutnot/pseuds/whutnot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a body is found in the river, Kuvira knows who she needs to visit, but she might just be getting in too deep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The cub is dark and rank with smoke, but Kuvira expects that. This is not her first time inside Club Zaofu, and she knows it will not be her last. A flash of her badge had gotten her through the door and pointed in the direction of the owner.

She finds Suyin Beifong lounging in a booth near the back, the older woman’s eyes trained on the dancers that entertain the patrons. She’s a beautiful woman despite her age (which she really only shows in her graying hair), and Kuvira has always thought that she purposefully flaunts her sexuality. Her blouse is unbuttoned enough to show her cleavage, and the skirt she wears hugs her hips. Kuvira has seen her in similar outfits enough to know that her ass would look spectacular if she wasn’t seated.

Suyin looks up as Kuvira approaches, and leans over to say something to the man who sits next to her. Not her husband. For all the times Kuvira has met with Suyin, she has yet to see Baatar. He works as an architect. A perfectly legitimate profession, quite in contrast to his wife.

The man nods and then leaves, just as Kuvira reaches the booth.

“Detective,” Suyin says with a lazy smile. She always has an air of superiority about her. A way of sitting that makes it quite clear she thinks herself above everyone else. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Kuvira sits across from her. The first time she came to speak with Suyin, she stood, hoping to gain respect and keep up her hard-cop image. She knows now that is useless and a waste of energy. It has no effect on Suyin.

“Yesterday evening, a body was found in the river not too far from here.”

Suyin raises a perfect brow. “That’s certainly not a strange occurrence,” she says, finger tracing the rim of her glass. “I assume there’s more?”

“The body has been identified as Hua-Ting, the head of the Dynasty clan.”

Suyin doesn’t even attempt to look surprised, as Kuvira suspected. She already knew of the murder. “How unfortunate.”

“It’s well known that the Dynasty clan is your biggest rival.”

“Are you suggesting I had something to do with this?”

“No.” Kuvira folds her hands on the table. “It’s not your style.” Kuvira appreciates that Suyin doesn’t make some frail attempt to deny crimes. They both know she’s the head of the Beifong family, the most powerful mafia family in the city. Highly ironic considering her sister is Chief of Police in another city. Of course, there’s never any proof of criminal activity, and Kuvira is certain the family is paying off officers and politicians. Whatever else, Kuvira knows that if Suyin or her family was behind this murder, the body would never have been found.

“It does sound like a sloppy job,” Suyin says, inspecting her nails. “Or made to look so. From what I’ve heard”

Kuvira nods. “It was made to look like a hit from your family. We were always meant to find the body. You should be prepared for retaliation.”

Suyin turns her head away and smiles, as if she finds Kuvira’s warning amusing. “Is that why you’re here, detective? To tell me things I already know?”

“I’m here because a full on conflict between you and the Dynasty would tear this city apart.” She leans back, shaking her head. “Which I assume was the intention of whoever is responsible.”

“One of the lesser families,” Suyin provides. The playfulness in her face fades as she grows contemplative. “Trying to seize power.”

“That’s what I think.”

Suyin cocks her head, looking down her nose to Kuvira. “Does your Captain know you’re telling me this?”

Kuvira is unable to keep the grimace from her face. By all means, she should not be there. They have already ruled out the Beifongs as suspects, and thus she has no reason to interview Suyin. She is here out of an incredibly misguided and dangerous sense of concern over the woman before her. Over her years as a detective, she has become increasingly familiar with Suyin Beifong, and increasingly frustrated with the lack of evidence against her family. And even more increasingly frustrated with her attraction to the older woman. She knows it is beginning to affect her performance on the job, and she worries that she is being pulled in, inch by inch, until one day she may very well compromise a case to save her.

Suyin laughs softly, and Kuvira feels her cheeks burn. “I’ve always liked you, Detective.” She sounds so affectionate, and Kuvira hates the way it makes her heart flutter. “You have such a heart for justice. It’s so refreshing in this…cesspool of corruption we call a city. You care more about keeping people safe than you do about the politics and policies of your position. It is appreciated. Your warning.”

Kuvira has to look away, questioning her own ethics and morals. What does it say about her that a mob boss is complimenting her integrity?

“I’ll give you something in return,” Suyin continues, and Kuvira looks back at her. Suyin’s tips, for there have been many over the years, are always helpful. “The House of Sozin looks to strengthen their position here.” The Sozin family was a new presence in their city, transplanted from overseas. The Beifongs and the Dynasty had so far been more than enough to keep them from taking hold, but apparently, they now attempted to make a move. “There was an attempt on my life not a week ago.” Suyin rolls her eyes. “It was taken care of before any harm could come to me.” Kuvira’s instinct is to ask about how many lives that cost, but she knows Suyin will withhold any subsequent information. “I assume now that when they realized I was too difficult a target, they turned their sights on Hua-Ting. She grew…cocky in her old age. Complacent in her security. Now there will be turmoil in the family. Wu doesn’t have what it takes to lead them. They’ll fall within a few months.”

“Leaving a place for Izumi.” The head of the Sozin Family.

“She’s cunning,” Suyin says. “Careful. You’ll never be able to trace this back to them, and if you do…”

“It will be to lesser minions who will willingly fall on the sword for her,” Kuvira finishes.

“Any other kind of minion is of no worth.” Suyin is rarely so open when speaking of Family matters, but they both know this is beyond their usual conflicts. This is not a squabble over territory or a slight against heads of house. This is a cold take down that threatens the stability of the city. 

“Thanks for the heads’ up,” Kuvira says. “I don’t know what kind of eyes and ears Izumi has in the precinct.” She looks as Suyin expectantly, but the older woman gives nothing away. “Of course. That was expecting too much.”

“I like you, detective, but I have to have some secrets.” She gazes as Kuvira from under thick lashes, and Kuvira knows it is time to leave.

She stands, but a soft hand on her own stills her. Suyin has leaned over the table to touch her. The first time they have ever touched, and Kuvira feels a thrill travel down her spine.

“Detective…Kuvira. Be careful with Izumi.” Suyin shakes her head, her eyes clear and true for once, no longer hiding intentions. “She does not care for you as I do. If you dig too deep…She will take action. And I’m not sure I’ll be able to protect you.”

Kuvira has always suspected that Suyin found her more than just amusing, but to have it so blatantly stated startles her, and she finds herself nodding. “I’ll be careful.”

Suyin releases her, and Kuvira walks away before she can say something she’ll regret.

That night, as she lies in bed, her hand still tingles where Suyin’ fingers touched her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some warnings for blatant talk of murder.

The precinct is thinning out, with most of the officers taking a bit of an early leave. It is Friday, after all, and only people without a life would work late. People like Kuvira. She smirks, though, because her partner is still there, too. Mako sits at his desk, poring over reports, trying to find some way to link Hua-Ting’s murder to the Sozins. Neither of them have had any luck, and Kuvira is really starting to get frustrated. She knows Suyin’s tip was good. They always are, but she can’t say that to Mako, and he’s almost ready to move on, convinced that her ‘gut feeling’ was wrong.

“This is hopeless, Kuvira,” he says. “There’s nothing to suggest they had anything to do with this. Maybe it was someone else.”

“It was the Sozins,” Kuvira insists. “Who else has motive?”

Mako gives her a flat look. “Just about everyone in the city.”

“Okay let me rephrase. Who else has the motive and the means? Hua-Ting was almost untouchable. She’s not the type of person who just gets mugged in an alley. This had to be planned, and since we’ve ruled out the Beifongs, that doesn’t leave much else.”

“You’re obsessed with the Beifongs,” Mako complains, and Kuvira works to keep her face impassive. He’s not completely right. She’s not obsessed with all the Beifongs. Just one. The most important one.

“Hey, it’s not my fault they’re involved in so many of our cases.”

Mako snorts. “Yeah. And every charge just slides right off.” He reviews a piece of paper. “Are we sure they didn’t have anything to do with this?”

“Suyin Beifong didn’t give me any reason to think they were involved when I talked to her.” Kuvira winces, realizing her mistake as Mako gives her a sharp look.

“You talked to her?”

“Uh, yeah. I just went to make sure she wasn’t hiding anything.”

Mako’s eyes narrow, and he regards her suspiciously. “You know she’d never give you any information anyway.”

Kuvira doesn’t say that Suyin is the one who pointed her to the House of Sozin. “I know. Maybe I just wanted her to know we’re watching.”

“I’m sure you had her trembling in her pumps.”

Kuvira laughs along with him, hoping it sounds natural and easy. She knows she’s walking a dangerous line, one that could end up with her losing her job. Or worse. Suyin Beifong lives in a world where the lives of people outside her family are disposable. Where death and murder are commonplace, expected. She’s not just a criminal. She’s the mastermind behind countless acts of violence, and if she was ever caught, she would most likely be sentenced to life in prison, no chance of parole, if not the death sentence. Kuvira doesn’t like to think about that. She doesn’t like to think about the fact that Suyin has probably taken lives personally, not just ordered her lackeys to do it. She doesn’t like to think of how ruthless Suyin must be to keep such tight control over her syndicate. Because when she thinks about those things, her attraction to the older woman is much more problematic.

“Hey, Bolin and I are going out with some friends tonight,” Mako says. “You want to come?”

“Um-” Her phone rings, interrupting her. “Hold that thought.” She lifts the phone to her ear. “Detective Sikdar.”

“Kuvira, dear, it’s Suyin Beifong.”

Kuvira’s eyes widen. “What can I do for you?” She doesn’t want Mako to know Suyin is calling.

“I think you should come by the club tonight, around ten.”

“I’m not…what’s it about?”

“Not over the phone, darling.” Suyin’s voice sounds tight, and Kuvira is immediately washed with worry. “Just come by. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Wait-what-” But Suyin has already hung up. Kuvira frowns at her phone, then looks up at Mako. “I’m afraid I’ll have to pass tonight.”

“Who was that?”

“Uh, just an old friend who’s in town. I’m going to meet her for drinks.”

Mako doesn’t look like he believes her, and Kuvira puts her phone in her pocket, ready to make a dash for it.

“Next time, Mako, I promise.” She gives him a wan smile, and tells him she’ll see him Monday. Quickly, she leaves before he can say anything else. She’s still got a couple of hours before Suyin is expecting her, and she takes that time to eat and calm herself. She’s not sure what it is Suyin wants to tell her, but she knows it can’t be good. Not if her tone of voice was anything to go by.

When she arrives at Club Zaofu, the line is out the door. It’s always been a popular place on weekends. Kuvira’s badge gets her in, and she’s always fairly certain the bouncer was expecting her. Inside, another security guard finds her and tells her Suyin is waiting for her in the back, and he escorts her through the throng of drunken partyers. She’s never been this far inside the club, never past the booths and the bar.

The back is brightly lit, looking more like an office building than a club. Of course, she supposes that’s what this part is for. The business side of things.

Suyin is in one of these offices, the biggest one, sitting at a beautifully ornate desk, glasses perched on her nose as she marks over papers with a pen.

“Ms. Beifong,” the security guard says. “Detective Sikdar is here.”

“Thank you.” Suyin nods to him, and he leaves. “Sit down, Detective.”

Kuvira remains standing. She wants Suyin to know she’s not some dog on a leash who comes at command.

“What did you want to tell me?”

“Please sit down, Detective,” Suyin insists. “Aren’t we past these formalities by now?”

“I’m not here to play games.”

“Neither am I.” Suyin puts down her pen and leans back in her chair. “I called you because I have some information you might want. And I couldn’t tell you over the phone. It’s not safe.”

Kuvira lowers herself into the chair, regarding Suyin carefully. “And how do I know it’s good?”

“When have I ever given you false information?” Suyin almost looks hurt, and Kuvira has to remind herself that she’s dealing with a hardened mob boss, not a random Good Samaritan who just wants to help with a case. Whatever Suyin wants to tell her, it’s going to be self-serving, even if it also benefits Kuvira. 

“You’ve never been upfront about any of the cases against your family.”

Suyin gives a small laugh. “I have the right not to incriminate myself, after all.” It’s practically a confession, but nothing Kuvira could use in court. It wouldn’t matter anyway. Suyin can afford the best, dirtiest, cheating lawyers money can buy. And Kuvira’s not sure she wants to see Suyin in jail. Even if she deserves it.

“Your tip about the Sozins hasn’t gone anywhere,” Kuvira complains so that she doesn’t look so pining or desperate.

“That’s what I wanted to talk about.” Suyin stands and walks over to close the door. Kuvira immediately feels trapped when she realizes there are no windows in the room, but she does her best to keep from showing it. She doubts Suyin would lure her here just to kill her. Not personally. Not on the premises of her establishment. Not in the middle of a high profile case. And, she thinks, Suyin likes her too much for that. Why give her a warning to be careful if she’s just planning on killing her? “You need to strip.”

“Excuse me?”

“Strip.” Suyin looks at her pointedly. “I need to make sure you’re not wearing a wire.”

“What?” Kuvira stands, intending on leaving.

“Kuvira, I am about to incriminate myself in several ongoing cases,” Suyin says carefully, her face serious. “And I need to know that it’s not going to be used against me once you leave.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Believe me, what I’m going to tell you is bigger than these cases.” Suyin stands in front of the door, and for the first time in all the years Kuvira has known her, she looks apprehensive. “You can strip, let me see you’re not wearing a wire, and I can give something that will help both of us. Or you can leave now and try to combat the House of Sozin on your own.”

Kuvira sets her jaw, her mind racing through the two possibilities, weighing the morality. The legality is clear. She should just walk away. To just let Suyin confess her crimes and then walk free would be beyond illegal. It would go against everything she stands for and believes in. If found out, she would lose her job and then be tried and sent to jail herself.

But if she walks away…then anything Izumi does will be on her.

Looking Suyin straight in the eyes, Kuvira strips off her jacket and throws it into the chair behind her. She then unbuttons her shirts, baring her chest to Suyin. The older woman watches her clinically, but Kuvira can see the flush in her cheek. With more confidence than she feels, Kuvira shrugs off her shirt.

“No wire,” she says, holding out her arms and slowly turning around. Suyin’s eyes fall to her chest where her breasts are held in just a black sports bra.

“Pants, too,” Suyin says softly, and Kuvira turns to glare at her. “I’m sorry.”

Kuvira wonders if Suyin has ever apologized to anyone in her life and she thinks the older woman might be sincere, despite the way her eyes travel over Kuvira’s body. Embarrassed and exposed, Kuvira slides her pants down to her ankles, and Suyin steps in close….so very close, surveying her body until she steps back, satisfied.

“All right. No wire.” She gives Kuvira a nod. “Get dressed, and we’ll talk.” Though she’s already seen Kuvira nearly naked, she graciously turns around to let Kuvira dress without eyes on her.

“I’m done,” Kuvira says quietly and sits back down. 

Suyin takes a seat next to Kuvira instead of on the other side of the desk. It gives the situation a more intimate air, and Kuvira wonders what she’s gotten herself into.

“I’ve been following the movements of the House of Sozin since they first made a presence here. That was before Izumi.” Suyin leans her elbow on the desk. “They’re dangerous, and even more so with her at the helm. You can’t underestimate her, Kuvira. She doesn’t care about this city or about the people here.”

“And you do?”

Suyin gives a small smile. “Believe it or not, I do. You have no idea how hard I work to keep the balance. Hua-Ting was easy to control and manipulate, and she feared me. I let the Dynasty stay because they served a purpose. Izumi won’t be satisfied until she has power. And she will cause a bloodbath to achieve that. I don’t think your realize just how far I go to make your job as easy as possible. Of course there are…unfortunate consequences of my line of work, but we do try to keep it to a minimum.”

“As long as you keep control,” Kuvira says, and Suyin inclines her head.

“Of course. We don’t need to pretend anymore, Kuvira. You know who I am and the things I’ve done, and for years you’ve tried to take me down. And despite all that, I like you. Or maybe because of it.” She shrugs. “You are so refreshingly…not for sale. There are so many people we’ve bought off over the years. But not you. And you come here last week to warn me about retaliation from the Dynasty. Even though you’re under no obligation to.”

She says it with such affection that Kuvira has to look down at her lap. She should be revolted, disgusted with herself that she wants this woman, this mafia leader, to want her, to praise her. It should grate against everything she is and knows, and Kuvira hates how much those words of affection warm her.

“You have more resources and information than I do,” she says. “It just makes sense to keep a working relationship.”

“Is that all it is?”

Kuvira does not rise to the bait. “Of course.”

“I think you’re entangled in something you don’t know how to handle,” Suyin says. “And you’re trying to pretend like you’re not.”

“You don’t know me,” Kuvira snaps, her heart beating hard against her chest.

“I know you better than you think Kuvira Sikdar. You think I would let you this far into my life without knowing everything there is to know about you?” Suyin shakes her head with a tiny snort that she somehow makes dignified. “I know you were born here, that your parents abandoned you and you went into foster care at age eight. I know you nearly flunked out of school because of anger issues, and I know you got yourself together and graduated top of your class from the police academy. I know you’re gay, and have had just one relationship in the last five years. I know it failed, and I know why. I know you go to the same bar every Saturday and stay for about an hour, just long enough to have a beer. I know you never indulge in more than that.”

“You’ve had someone tailing me,” Kuvira says, her nostrils flaring as she tries to keep her anxiety from her face.

“Of course I have.” Suyin raises a brow. “Since the beginning.”

“Not all of your information is correct.” Kuvira sits rigidly in her chair, trying to get back on solid footing. “I’m not gay.”

“Really? Because you had a woman sharing your bed for over a year.”

“I’m not gay,” Kuvira repeats. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m…demisexual.”

“I’m not sure I’m familiar with that one.” Suyin leans forward, her head cocked, like she’s genuinely interested. Weren’t they supposed to be exchanging information against the Sozins? Was that not the reason Kuvira had to strip for Suyin? “What does that mean?”

“I don’t um…I have to know someone, feel something for them, before I have any…attraction.” Her face is burning, she knows, but Suyin looks thoughtful.

“But it works for all genders?”

Kuvira nods. “Yes.”

Suyin nods. “I shouldn’t have just assumed your sexuality. I’m sorry.”

“This is off topic. You’re supposed to be telling me something that make it worth it for me to jeopardize my career.”

“Always focused.” Suyin reaches over to pick up an envelope from her desk. “There were two murders last month. Unidentified bodies, I believe. Teeth and fingerprints removed.”

“I remember.” A very grisly crime scene. Kuvira had suspected the Beifongs were responsible at the time, that the murders had been a message. She just had not known to whom it had been directed. And there was no evidence to tie them back to anyone.

“I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that those were ours.” Suyin opens the envelope and hands Kuvira two packs of paper. They are files on two men, who Kuvira assumes were the murder victims. “These were two of Izumi’s men. Sent to infiltrate my family. They gathered information on me, on my business. They paid the price. But not before we extracted information from them.”

Kuvira tries not to blanch at the blatant admittance of guilt in two of the most violent murders Kuvira had ever worked. She knows Suyin is responsible for many more. It also turns her stomach at the implication that the two men were tortured before they died.

“I know who Izumi has inside your precinct,” Suyin says, and Kuvira thinks that she’s made the right decision in staying.

“Are you sure?” Torture often draws false information.

“Yes. I want you to know I’m not a monster, Kuvira. Those men did not have families, and as soon as they gave us the information we needed, we ended their suffering.” Suyin says it so casually, that Kuvira feels slightly ill. “We also checked up to verify the information. It’s good.” She hands Kuvira a file. “These are the people they identified. I should warn you, Kuvira. Your partner is one of them.”

Kuvira stares at her, cold dread wrapping around her heart. “What?”

“I recognized his name. It seems Izumi recruited him about a year ago.” Suyin looks sympathetic as Kuvira grapples with this information. “I don’t know yet how, but you shouldn’t trust him.”

“You’re just trying to come between us,” Kuvira snaps, anger growing. “Why would I trust you over him? He’s saved my life on multiple occasions, and I trust him. You’re the one who’s lying.”

Suyin shakes her head, her eyes soft. “I know this is hard to hear. Partners are supposed to trust each other. Believe me or don’t believe me, but he’s been compromised.”

Kuvira reflects that she’s been compromised, too, as she sits in the office of Suyin Beifong, trading secrets with no regard for the law. In her gut, she knows Suyin is right. It explains why Mako has been trying so hard to steer her away from the Sozins. She wonders how many leads he has killed, how much evidence he’s kept from her. She’s been so wrapped up in Suyin that she hasn’t paid enough attention to what her partner has been doing.

“If I were you,” Suyin continues as Kuvira rests her head in her hands. “I wouldn’t share these names with him. In fact, I wouldn’t share any of this with him.”

Kuvira rubs her eyes, mind whirling. This changes everything. She feels well and truly alone in this. Suyin has the commissioner in her pocket, and now Izumi has Mako. She’s caught between these two titans, and she feels helpless.

“I just want to protect people,” she whispers, and Suyin places a hand on her knee.

“I know. I’m…trying to help, in my way.”

“You’re doing this for you, to keep your position of power. Not because you actually care about people.”

“The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.” Suyin stands. “You should go. You’ve been here too long already. Izumi has people watching you. Take the papers, but know that if they leave your possession, I won’t protect you.”

“I don’t need your protection.”

Suyin looks at her with painfully affectionate eyes. “Yes you do. And the sooner you realize that, the better. Kuvira…I would hate to see you get hurt, but there’s only so much I can do.”

Kuvira grasped the packet of files, standing shakily. “Thank you for the names. I’ll bury the files on the two murders.”

“That’s already been taken care of,” Suyin says. “But I appreciate the gesture. Aiwei will see you out.” The dismissal is clear, and Kuvira takes her leave, following the tall, thin man from the club. He turns to her, looking down his nose.

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” he says, and Kuvira feels more uneasy with him than she’s ever felt with Suyin.

“I can handle myself.”

“You’re lucky she likes you, otherwise you’d have ended up in the river a long time ago.”

She’s not sure if this is a threat, but she makes a note to keep an eye on this man. Suyin clearly trusts him, but Kuvira doesn’t. Kuvira no longer trusts anyone.

With the strange, worrying exception of Suyin Beifong.


	3. Chapter 3

From her squad car, she watches the figure slip into the alley, obscuring her view. Kuvira curses under her breath. She doesn't want to put herself in a dangerous situation, but she can't lose her tail on this guy. Gritting her teeth, she makes sure her gun is secured and slips from the car. Carefully, she follows the figure into the alley. As her eyes adjust to the dark away from the streetlights, she sweeps the area, trying to spot her target. She sees movement at the end of the alley, and she crouches down, hiding herself behind a stack of garbage bags.

She's so focused on her task that she doesn't hear the two sets of footsteps approaching her from behind until cold metal touches her neck.

“Stand up slowly, hands up,” a low, gravely voice growls. Kuvira takes half a second to assess her options and then obeys. “Chan, pat her down.”

Another pair of hands finds her gun at her belt, her knife in her boot, and her smaller revolver tucked into the inside of her jacket. She feels naked and exposed now that she is completely unarmed, and she tries to keep calm.

“You're coming with us,” the first man says. Kuvira glances at him, but the shadows cover his face. She can see that he has a tattoo of a flying boar on his wrist. A Beifong. This confuses her. If any of the houses were to kidnap her, she would expect the Sozins or even the Dynasty. Not the Beifongs. Not now.

He moves the gun to her back and pushes her over toward the street where a car waits. He forces Kuvira into the back, locking the door behind her. The other man turns around in the passenger seat to keep a gun trained on her.

“Boss wants to see you,” he says, and Kuvira's heat pounds. This is it. Suyin has decided she's too much of a liability and has ordered a hit on her. She was so stupid to think this wouldn't happen. So careless, so self assured. She'd gotten too close and now she is paying the consequence for her oversight. How foolish and naive to think Suyin cared enough about her to keep her safe.

She expects to be take to Club Zaofu or perhaps to some bridge down by the river or even the dump. Somewhere secluded where there will be no one to help her. She may be skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but her captors have guns. A well thrown punch, no matter how powerful, is no match for a bullet. She glances around the car, wondering if she can throw herself out, if she can get away before the two men have a chance to shoot her down. Her unbound hands fiddle with the door.

“You can try,” the driver calls back to her, and she meets his eyes in the rear view mirror. “But the locks are controlled up here, and the windows are bullet proof. You can't get out until I say so.”

Kuvira just narrows her eyes. No reason to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she's panicking inside.

That panic is cut through by confusion as she realizes they are driving into one of the swanky neighborhoods north of the river, away from the seedy clubs and hidden overpasses that are so common as dumping grounds for completed hits. They are passing gated homes with manicured lawns and driveways full of luxury cars. Kuvira frowns.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“Like I said, Boss wants to see you.”

Kuvira's eyes widened. Are they going to Suyin's home? She is still pondering this surprising possibility when the car slows and turns into a long drive. Curiously, she looks out the window as the car comes to a stop at the gate. The driver rolls down the window, and Kuvira realizes that there is a manned guard post on the left side of the gate.

“Hey, Lee,” the driver says, and a woman leans out of the small structure.

“Boss said to expect you. I'll buzz you in.” She reaches back inside and the gate swings open. The driver tips his hat to her, but the woman's eyes are trained on Kuvira in the back seat.

“How's a cop like you end up working for the Boss?”

Kuvira blinks, realizing that the passenger, Chan, is speaking to her. “What?”

He looks at her oddly, with his head tilted to the side. “We've been watching you for months. You seem like a real honest broad. All...full of integrity and shit. How's it that someone like that gets into business with the Family?”

“Shut up, Chan,” the driver growls. “Boss's business. If you know what''s good for you, you'll drop it.”

Chan glances at him, then turns back around in his seat. Before Kuvira can contemplate the implications of what he said, the car comes to a stop. The house is huge. A mansion, really. Kuvira is sure that the entryway alone will be larger than her entire apartment. She's always known that Suyin is filthy rich, but this just brings that into stark perspective. Rich doesn't even begin to cover it.

Chan and the driver get out of the car and escort Kuvira to the door. She half expects a butler to answer, but she recognizes the man as Baatar, Suyin's husband. He's in his mid-forties, with glasses and slightly graying hair. He's handsome, but in an unassuming, bookish way. She knows him from the pictures in Suyin's file. He looks slightly confused for a moment before Suyin shows up behind him, still dressed for the day despite the late hour.

“Ling, Chan.” She nods to Kuvira's escorts. “You may go now.”

Ling blinks. “But, Ma'am-”

“Now.” Suyin's eyes flash, and her voice is hard and cold. Kuvira can see now how she can wield the power of a mob family so completely. “And give her back her weapons.”

Both men look alarmed, but they clearly know better than to argue further. Chan returns to the car and brings back the knife and the two guns. Kuvira takes them tentatively, eying the men as they leave. She turns back to Suyin, a question on her tongue, but the older woman speaks before she can say anything.

“Come in.” She steps back, moving her husband out of the way in the process.

Suddenly, Kuvira is angry. Very angry. “What the hell is this, Su?” She shoves her guns back in their places. “You had your lackeys kidnap me at gunpoint and take me to your house?”

Suyin's eye widen. “Gunpoint? They pulled a gun on you?” Her face clouds with anger, and Baatar puts a hand on her arm.

“Su, dear, how else were they supposed to bring an armed police officer to you?”

“By asking her!” Suyin whips out her phone while Kuvira stands awkwardly in her foyer. “Chan, you and Ling will be in my office tomorrow at one. Sharp.” Her jaw sets tightly. “It's not up for debate!” She hangs up, her nostrils flaring as she turns back to Kuvira. “That wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to ask you to come.”

“What is this?” Kuvira hisses again. “What's your game?”

Suyin shakes her head. “There's no game. You're here for your protection.”

“My protection?”

Here, Suyin looks almost...embarrassed. “It's not sage for you anymore to be out on patrol.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Izumi has you singled out.” Suyin cannot meet Kuvira's eyes, and her cheeks flush. “She thinks you're in my pocket.”

Kuvira's eyes narrow. “Your people seem to think the same thing. They seem to think I'm bought and paid for. I'm not your lap dog to come running at your beck and call.”

Suyin looks pained and turns to her husband. “Baatar….”

He nods and gives her a kiss on her forehead before disappearing into the vast house. When he is gone, Suyin returns her attention to Kuvira.

“Please, come sit with me, and we can talk about this.”

Reluctantly, Kuvira follows her to a lavish sitting room, feeling overwhelmed with the surreal situation, and takes a seat on the plush couch, away from Suyin. For once, Suyin is not filled with an easy confidence. Her hands fidget with her pants, and she blows out a long sigh.

“It's a long-standing tradition between the Families to try and knock off each others' police informants. Informants aren't real members of the Family, and are thus expendable. Killing one sends a message, but it isn't the same as killing an initiated member of the Family.” Suyin lifts her chin. “I've chosen not to do this now that I know who Izumi has in the precinct. It's easier to keep an eye on what information she knows when I know who they are. Additionally, I know you're fond of your partner.” It may be Kuvira's imagination, but she thinks perhaps Suyin looks at her for approval. “Izumi does not share the same opinion. She thinks you are my informant, and she is going to make a move on you. Sooner rather than later.”

“I'm no one's informant,” Kuvira growls.

“It doesn't matter if you are or aren't,” Suyin continues. “It only matters what she believes. Because of the...friendly nature of our relationship, she's concluded that you're mine. Ling and Chan took you tonight because Izumi's put out a hit on you.”

Kuvira's blood runs cold. “A hit?”

“Yes. You're in danger. You can't go home. The only safe places for you now are here and maybe the Club.”

Kuvira wants to argue, wants to chalk this up to some elaborate prank, but she knows in her gut that Suyin is speaking the truth. Groaning, Kuvira folds over and holds her head in her hands. This is what she gets for having...feelings for a mod boss. This is some sort of karmic retribution.

“What am I supposed to do?” she croaks. She knows enough about this world to realize that this isn't just going to go away. Not a hit ordered by a Boss.

“I have a solution,” Suyin says. “But you're not going to like it.” She carefully lays a hand on Kuvira's knee. “Leave the force. Come work for me. Once you're under my immediate protection, Izumi will think twice about coming after you.”

Kuvira balks, thrusting herself up and off the couch. “Work for you? Work for someone who kills for a living? Just throw away all my integrity?”

“You speak of integrity, but you've been more valuable to me than any informant I've ever paid for.”

This stops Kuvira cold. “What?”

Suyin is looking at her with wide, honest eyes, and she is painfully beautiful. “You come to the Club to warn me about possible hits, you trade information, you take late night calls from me. You care about what happens to me, even though you know I am very capable of taking care of myself. I'm not blind to that, Kuvira. In return, I've protected you. You may not be on my payroll, but you belong to me even more surely than if you did.” Her eyes are searching. “Do you think I would take a mere informant into my home where my husband and children sleep?”

Kuvira pales, the implication of Suyin's words sinking in. “I don't understand.” But she does. She just needs Suyin to spell it out.

“I care about you, Kuvira. I don't want anything to happen to you, and I will do what it takes to protect you. All you have to do is accept my help.”

Her breathing comes in short gasps, and Kuvira tilts her head up, trying to calm herself. “I can't just leave my life. I've worked so hard to become a detective. I can't throw all that away.”

“The police force is so corrupted that it's just an extension of the Families. You would have burned out anyway.” Suyin's face darkens. “Or pissed off the wrong person.”

“You can't just make decisions about my life for me! It's bad enough that you've had me followed for years. Now you think you know what's best for me?”

“Please, Kuvira.” Suyin's voice cracks over her name. “I can't let anything happen to you. Not when I have the power to stop it.”

“It's not your decision. I'm not yours to control. Not like your lackeys.”

“I know. Please consider this, though.” Suyin comes to stand by her, so very close. “Your partner is compromised. Your entire precinct is divided up between the Families. Things will only get worse for you there. I'm not asking you to become a hit man. But I am asking you to join my Family. For your own safety.”

Kuvira's mind is reeling, and she closes her eyes. “I can't just make that decision. I can't just upend my life in an instant. I can't...I can't trust you.”

“I know.” Suyin sounds desperate now. “But you don't have a lot of time. Call in sick. Take a few days off to think about it. Please, Kuvira. I can protect you. I can prove that you can trust me. I want to protect you.” Her hands clasp around Kuvira's, sending warm tingles through the younger woman's skin.

“Why? Why do you care so much about what happens to me. I'm a cop. A cop who is supposed to be investigating you, trying to put you away. I'm your enemy.”

Suyin doesn't answer. Instead, she gently cups Kuvira's jaw and tilts her head up. Kuvira's breath seizes in her chest as Suyin leans in. She can see what is about to happen, and her body reacts. When Suyin's lips touch hers, Kuvira's eyes flutter closed. Groaning, she leans into the touch, her body pressing flush against Suyin. It feels so good, so right, and she opens her mouth slightly to let Suyin invade her. She's never kissed like this before, no even with the two long-term relationships she's had, not even with the women she's loved. Suyin's other hand moves down to the small of her back, pushing gently to keep them together.

It is when that hand moves lower, over her ass, that Kuvira's mind catches up with her body. Jerking away, she breaks the kiss, staring at a Suyin who is as dazed as she is.

“What the fuck, Suyin?” She touches her fingers to her lips.

Suyin leans against a side table, her hand resting against her chest. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.”

“No, you fucking shouldn't have!” Kuvira realizes she's trembling, and she's forgotten just exactly who Suyin is. Otherwise, she never would have spoken in such a harsh tone to someone who doesn't think twice about murder.

“I thought it would be easier to show you rather than tell you.” She looks at Kuvira apprehensively. “I know you find me attractive. I've seen the way you look at me. I know you care about me. I feel the same way about you, Kuvira. At first, I thought it was just an infatuation, but over the years, I've seen the person you are, and I've grown to care about you very much.”

Stunned, Kuvira swallows. “You're married.”

At this, Suyin actually laughs. “My dear, Baatar knows all about how I feel. We have no secrets.”

“None? You tell him all about the people you have killed?”

Suyin tenses. “Not the details,” she says stiffly. “But he does know I have feelings for you, and he has already given his approval for having you here until we can figure something out.”

Kuvira scoffs. “So he's perfectly fine with you keeping a live-in mistress in his home?”

Frowning, Suyin shakes her head. “Mistress is not the right word. It's not a secret. Not to him. He's always known who I am. All of who I am, and that's part of it. And I notice that through all of this, you haven't denied that you have feelings for me.”

Barking out a harsh laugh, Kuvira turns away from Suyin. “I want to go home. Take me home, now. I'm done with this.”

“You can't go home.”

Kuvira rounds on her, temper flaring. “Take me home now, or I'll be forced to pull my gun on you and fight my way out.”

Suyin swallows. “If you go home now, you'll be dead by morning. I can't let you do that. Please. Please stay tonight.”

Kuvira's anger tells her to deny Suyin, but the rational part of her mind knows that Suyin is right. She cannot afford to make a rash decision. This is bigger than her anger at Suyin. This is about life and death. And Suyin looks so scared. Kuvira has never seen her scared. Not even the time three years before when had been taken in and nearly arrested for tax fraud. That is usually how Bosses are taken down. When the feds get involved. But those charges slid right off of Suyin, and she was out within a few hours.

Now, though, her eyes are wide and pleading with none of her usual confidence. She looks so...real. So human. So vulnerable. Kuvira knows that what she said earlier wasn't true. She does trust Suyin. And now she will trust Suyin with her life.

“I'll stay. Just for tonight.”

Suyin blows out a shaky breath and looks as though she wants to embrace Kuvira. “I think that's the best decision. I know you're upset, but there are not a whole lot of options available right now.”

“I need clothes,” is all Kuvira can think to say. “My computer. I don't have anything. My toothbrush.”

“I'll send someone-”

“No!” Kuvira glares at her. “I'm only here because I don't want to die. Don't think this means that I've accepted your ridiculous offer or that I'm not infuriated with you right now. I don't want any of your people near my place.”

Suyin has the decency to look admonished, and Kuvira must reevaluate the Boss's feelings towards her. This could be more than a physical attraction. She looks legitimately distressed by the entire situation. “I understand,” she says, “but it's too dangerous for you to go back, even with an escort. So either you let me send someone, or you'll have to wear something I have here.”

Kuvira turns away, shaking her head. “This cannot be real. There's no way that I'm really here in your house with you asking me to basically move in.”

“You would only stay here until you were safely integrated into the Family.”

“Do you not hear how absurd this is?” Kuvira whirls back around to gape at Suyin. “What will your people say when they learn you're harboring a cop? Giving me a spot in the Family when I haven't worked through the ranks like everyone else?”

“They won't say anything at all if they know what's good for them.” Suyin's eyes glint with frosty anger. “Do think this is my first time smoothing over a decision that wasn't popular? I've run this Family for nearly twenty years, ever since my mother up and went awol. I know how to handle my people. If you think this is absurd, then go back to your dingy little apartment and wait for Izumi's assassins to kill you in your sleep.”

She is so clearly upset, and Kuvira feels an odd tugging at her heart that makes her want to apologize. It doesn't make sense to her how quickly their relationship has been reshaped. Just minutes ago they were something akin to amicable foes, and now...now, she's not sure at all what they are.

So Kuvira sighs and readies herself for surrender. “Whoever you send to my place needs to be someone you trust. A woman, too.”

Suyin nods, then swallows and closes her eyes. “Kuvira. I know you probably don't remember this, but a few years ago you gave me some intel on the Dynasty, on a potential hit on my husband. At the time, I told you that was impossible, that they knew better than to come after him. He's not even involved in the business.”

“I remember.” It had been one of the very first times she slipped information to Suyin. It hadn't affected any ongoing cases, so she hadn't seen the harm. “You also said that you were aware of the 'rumor,' as you called it.”

“I lied. I wasn't aware of it at all, but I couldn't let you know that.” When Suyin looks at her again, her eyes are soft and grateful. “I had my people look into it, and you were right. We were able to stop the threat, but if you hadn't warned me...” She shudders. “I owe you his life, Kuvira. I've never forgotten that. This...all of this, comes back to my feuds, and you and Baatar get caught up in the crossfire. I do my best to protect him, and you've helped with that. Now, I will protect you, too.”

“If Baatar has been targeted before, what makes you think I'll be safe even if I accept your offer?”

“Baatar was targeted by the Dynasty in a moment of desperation when they were losing part of their traditional territory,” Suyin tells her. “They're not an issue anymore, and Izumi is much smarter than that. She wants to chip away at my foundation without making a direct attack. The closer you are to me, the safer you are.”

“This is something that I will really need to think about. For a long time. I can't make this decision overnight.”

“I know.” Hesitantly, she reaches out and touches Kuvira's cheek. The detective does not pull away. She likes the warmth of Suyin's hand on her skin. 

There is a knock on the door, and Suyin quickly pulls away. She opens it to reveal her husband.

“I'm sorry to interrupt, Su, but your phone's been ringing. It's the Club.” He glances at Kuvira, his eyes raking up and down her body, curious but not lecherous.

“All right. I'll be right there.” She gives him a tired smile and a peck on the cheek. He whispers something in her ear, and she blushes. Clearing her throat with a quick look back at Kuvira, she says, “Yes, well...I'm glad you think so.” She seems to think over something for a moment. “Baatar? Would you mind setting Kuvira up in one of the guest rooms while I take care of whatever is happening at the club?”

Kuvira tenses as Baatar agrees. Before she can protest, Suyin has swept from the room, leaving Kuvira and her husband alone. Baatar gives Kuvira a welcoming smile.

“We didn't officially meet earlier. I'm Baatar.”

“Kuvira.”

“Su's told me a lot about you. I don't think I've ever heard her speak so fondly of a detective.”

Kuvira doesn't know what to say, so she just gives a small shrug. Baatar isn't deterred. He sweeps his arm out in front of him.

“Come one, I'll give you a tour of the house. Try to relax.” His voice is warm and kind. He seems so different from Suyin that Kuvira wonders how their marriage works. She supposes that if she stays here a while, she'll find out.

So she follows Baatar around the massive home, scarcely able to take in all the rooms. She wonders when the shock of all this will really set in. She wonders how she's going to be able to cope.


End file.
